


dog teeth

by dollyvonvixen



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Lots of Violence and Gore, Torture, disturbing imagery, gruesome deaths are described in detail, i've gotta warn you thought sq barely interact i'm sorry, somewhat open ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-17 05:43:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21049265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dollyvonvixen/pseuds/dollyvonvixen
Summary: Everyday brings a new death without any traceable leads.





	dog teeth

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally just a plotless gore fest to celebrate halloween but it gained a vague plot somehow. all mistakes are my own.

A ragged woman sprinted through the forest. She thrashed through hanging branches in her path, a clear tiredness marking her movement. 

The darkness was blinding. The moon provided little light despite the early hour. 

Snarling dogs pounded behind her. Their jaws snapped, and their feet tore the ground. Their eyes were still, frozen in place. The darkness hid much of them, so much they might have been shadows. 

A rotten stench wafted from the woods. It invaded every sense- her stomach twisted violently. It burned through her lungs. 

Her breaths were short and sparse, like her torn clothes. She wheezed and coughed helplessly. The woman let out a yelp, tumbling to the ground. Her foot yanked against the root holding it down to no avail. 

A wretched sob pierced through the air. It was a shattered sound, a hopeless and horrific sight. Her throat tore at the force of it, and her lungs heaved for air. 

Iron claws dug into her skin, their bluntness making it all the more painful. The claws crawled under her skin like maggots. 

Another scream reached down her throat, tearing away at her weak lungs. It’s shadowy paws ripped the air from her body. 

A dog tore at ripped skin prompting another cry. It’s claws dug into the exposed muscle as it pulled skin elsewhere on her frail frame. 

A steady stream of blood leaked from the wounds they inflicted. The dogs lapped it up at a ferocious pace, like they hadn’t drank for days. They climbed over her body for more, bones cracking and bending under their strength. 

She let out a hoarse cry. It was agonizing to scream, practically tearing her vocal cords from her throat. The dogs barked out laughs. The attack only intensified. 

“I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean it,” she croaked out cracking voice. A voice that sounded like it had been torn to pieces. “I d-I didn’t. I did-I didn’t. I didn’t. I- mean didn’t- didn’t it- I.” 

A smaller dog jumped in front of her. It grinned a harsh toothy smile. “You never say something you don’t mean, Skull.” It’s warm, rancid breath ghosted on her untouched cheek as it leaned close. It licked the tear tracks lining her face. 

“I-mean it- didn’t- didn’t- I- it- didn’t mean it,” she sobbed. 

“Well, Skull, I certainly do,” said the dog. It grazed it’s yellow rotting teeth across her other cheek. “You never should’ve woken up,” it said with a tsk. 

“I didn’t-I didn’t- I- I- didn’t -didn’t- I.” 

The dog tilted its head curiously. “I supposed you didn’t, but this is not going to end. Soon, but doesn’t it feel like a life time already?” 

“Did-didn’t-idn’t,” she repeated. 

“Didn’t, didn’t, didn’t?” mocked the dog. It swung it’s paw across her face creating a large bleeding gash. Metallic blood dripped into her mouth, causing a painful heave as she spit it from her mouth. “Did, did, did.” 

“Please!” she wailed. 

“Soon.” It’s teeth dug into her throat. “Soon, Skull,” it said. It’s jaw crushed her throat with ease. 

The third case of its type dropped on Emma’s desk. Things had been calm since the Black Fairy, things had been nice. Nice doesn’t last in Storybrooke. 

“The body was decimated. The only way we could identify it was the note left,” said David. His eyes had grown dimmer since the start of October. Gruesome murders tend to have that effect. 

She rubbed her temple. “Any leads?” 

The bodies never left a pinch of evidence. Their bodies never left much at all. Notes were all written in the handwriting of someone long gone in an untraceable substance. 

David’s pursed lips were a clear answer. She let out a sigh and started the report. 

Dinner was quiet that night. Her parents tried to make small talk, but their hearts weren’t in it. David was growing quieter as the days went on. Snow was growing anxious as the days went on. She had no idea how Henry was doing. 

Henry didn’t speak much. He spent most of his time looking out the window of his room, often refusing food for days at a time. He never bothered to look at her. 

She’d tried closing the window, dragging him out, and anything she could’ve thought of, but the boy barely responded. 

A rotting stench filled his lungs. It took another. 

Henry dreamt of Mom a lot, every night in fact. He never told anyone of it. The dreams had increased since the month began, and he had a feeling why.

Mom had warned him of October’s dangers since he could remember. She’d tell him of the creature that lurked. He never had a chance to meet it, but the air was exactly how she described it. 

All he had to do was wait. All he could do was wait. 

He had faith in Mom. 

The young woman never stood a chance. They both knew it. She didn’t bother fighting. 

The sun was bright, too bright to open her eyes. She could feel the intense light through her eyelids. She clenched her eyes uncomfortably tight. 

The creature’s wagging tail brushed her foot making her cringe. It chuckled, moving closer. It raised a paw to her throat, gently running it’s claws down the recently scarred skin. 

Sticky pricked bulbs hooked themselves inside her throat. She fell forward, eyes wide. Her hands scratched at her throat, desperate to remove them, only managing to tear her skin further. 

The bulbs erupted with life. A chirping hoard of insects emerged from the bulbs, excited to explore their new home. Their feet crawled around the inner lining of her throat. 

Some of the more fearful insects stung her inner walls. A pained moan rumbled from her chest, only working to anger them more. More and more stings blistered her throat. 

She gasped for air as they quickly swelled. 

“I’ve always wanted to try this,” the dog said. It slowly ran it’s tongue across her throat. It mirrored inside her, a sandpaper tongue grated against swelling wounds.

Little bites pinched and prodded at her muscles. They tore holes in her flesh, and burrowed into it. They curiously crawled through organs and veins, not hesitating to sever anything in their way. 

Agonizingly slow, they tore her apart. 

The creature studied her reactions with a curious expression. Her face twisted through a myriad of pained expressions. Her body was tense, hunched forward with her hands gone white from gripping the grass so tightly. 

The insects burst from her skin, chirping as they reached freedom. Her skin visibly crawled, the insects walking just under the skin. Red cuts and bites covered her body at an unnatural speed.    
She’d scream if she could breathe. Her organs and muscles were swollen, her throat catching the worst of it. Exposed bones poked through missing tissue, small holes maring them. 

It’s face remained curious. “Soon,” it said to itself. 

She couldn't find a single similarity between any of the victims. One could only assume it was baseless murder, but Emma’s instincts knew better. 

She hadn’t known any of them beyond a passing wave. A few victims had known each other while others did not. Nothing was true for all of them. 

She’d played with ideas of some being random and some being targets, but that didn’t fit the crime. They were too calculated. Too gruesome. 

She pursed her lips at the paper. This case was not ordinary. 

Regina never meant to fall asleep, nor does anyone who finds themself there. A calm silence blanketed the realm. The building stunk of fresh lavender and mellow water. She loathed it. 

She once loved lavender. It felt too dark now. 

She once loved silence. It was too heavy now.    
The walls were akin to palace ruins. So lovely once upon a time, but long rotted away. Pillars held up the remains. The ceiling was nearly nonexistent. It was not needed in a realm with no weather. 

She sat below a hanging dog statue. It hung by a rusty chain with moss covering its body. The heavy air prompted a heavy frown. Phantom paws climbed over her. 

Stone scraped and scratched against itself as life filled the statue. It craned its neck towards her, a smile gracing its face. 

“It’s been a long time, Spine,” said the statue with a dirty cackle. It swung aside, falling and shattering on the dirt floor. From the scattered pieces slithered a small dog with pointed features. Its ears were too big for its head, and it’s snout too long. 

“How have you been?” 

“Not long enough, Tail Bone,” she replied shortly, not bothering to look towards it. She stared into the blank void outside of the building. The dog tsked. 

“No manners. You’re never going to learn, are you?” It circled around her. “You always were bolder than the others.” 

It stopped, inspecting her closely with its dark eyes. The dog leaned in close, a rancid scent drifting from its mouth while its snouted grazed against her. Its nose was needle-like, digging lightly into the tip of hers. 

“How’s your son, Spine?” 

She let out a low growl. “None of your business.”

The dog nipped her cheek. It pulled back, and gave a toothy grin. “Everything is my business. The only thing that isn’t is Miss Femur.”

“And you better keep it that way.” Tail Bone pouted as best a dog can. “You are a menace.” It disappeared into a trail of smoke, slithering across the room. 

“And you are rude, dear Spine.” The whisper bounced around the room. She rolled her eyes. “Just for that disrespect, I am starting the season early. And you are going to stay here and watch. Maybe even join if you want to embrace your true darkness.” 

“I am not joining you ever again,” she said firmly. It’s paws pressed down on her shoulders. It’s tail brushed across her back like human nails. She winced. 

It leaned in, its nose sliding inside her ear. “That is your choice, of course. But there is no stopping me,” it said. It slowly pulled back, giving her cheek a playful lick. 

Teeth dug into her throat like knives of all sizes. “Soon,” it said, sinking its teeth in deeper. Her head tumbled off, rolling across the floor. 

Emma’s face was set in a hard line. An expression she often wore these days. 

She set a bouquet of daffodils on the untouched grave. “I miss you, ‘Gina,” she said to the gravestone. Unlike the others beside it, it held no body beneath it. Only a marker of a missing woman. 

Her hand traced the name. It tugged her heart to see it written so clearly. It was easy to pretend she was only out of town before the gravestone. 

She’d disappeared around this time last year. All that was left was a note, the first note. It hadn’t said much. 

‘ _ She’s gone. Not coming back _ .’ 

She’d spent a year trying to find any semblance of a clue from that note. She’d spent a year trying to find Regina. She was forced to give up when October started again. 

The same cruel note mocking them all.

The Blue Fairy was hung in Granny’s the next day. She wore no clothing, her carefully scarred back completely exposed to the diners entrance. A nonsensical floral pattern was cut in her back. Emma’s stomach sank at the daffodil petals sprinkled under the healing scars. 

The building was torn, a high contrast to only yesterday where the citizens had happily flocked in for a burger. Wallpaper hung half peeled on the walls. The windows had shattered leaving a mess of glass on the cracked floor. She stepped around it all as she approached the body. 

Splintered wooden stakes nailed Blue to the ceiling by her wings. Emma glanced down, growing more and more faint. The skin of her feet was carefully peeled off. The muscle was exposed, small wooden splinters adorned each pink tendril. 

The body wasn’t nearly as mutilated as most others, and perhaps that made it worse. She looked human, unlike them. An expression of pain was left on her face, her teeth remained painfully clenched, not bothering to relax like any normal corpse might. 

Granny had seen the worst of it.

Blue was alive when found, her magic cruelly preserving her life. Granny had seen her struggle to breathe through spouts of bloody coughing. She’d walked in as normal, and with a blink, the room had changed. 

Blue was there, pinned like a beetle. Her words were slurred, too hard to understand. Granny wore a grim expression as she retold the story. Emma noted the story, acting unaffected despite how her body cringed at each description. 

Granny was much the same in how she remained stoic. She’d left Emma to investigate further, not wanting to stick around any longer. 

With an uncomfortable breath, Emma walked around the body. The eyes watched her move. They were uncomfortably lively, as if they could still see everything. As if Blue was still feeling every stabbing pain. 

The back rooms were untouched, not a thing out of place. The tension in her shoulders only grew the longer she explored. A pair of shoes by the backdoor caught her eyes. She’d never seen Granny or Ruby with a pair like them. 

She longed to leave the building, to forget them, but she couldn’t. She’d teased Regina about being a better sheriff days before the disappearance. She hadn’t thought much of it then, but it felt like law now. 

She approached the shoes, an inkling of dread tingling in her gut. Her throat clenched, cutting short her breath. Nausea boiled violently. 

In the dark lighting, it could almost be mistaken for orange peels. However, it was much too thin, too pale. The shoes- Blue’s shoes she realized, were filled with the skin torn from her feet. She urged herself to look away. 

A note laid beside them. She squinted at the note, unwilling to pick it up or bend down to get a better look. It was notably longer than the others, likely longer than all of them combined. 

‘ _ I never cared much for Calcaneus. She loathed that name, and so I loathed her. At least Spine plays along. She’s stubborn, but I like her. I can understand why you all like her.  _

_They say she can be something akin to a female dog- a compliment if you ask me, but not to you. Might as well represent her with that. I hope you’re starting to understand as I grow bored._ _I think you’re ready.’ _

Tied to it was a canine tooth. It was an unusually bright white, a white that showed an extreme dedication to keeping oneself clean and tidy, unlike Blue’s slightly yellowed teeth. 

A different kind of dread twined through her body. 

Chains tied her to the floor. It was useless to struggle against them, they were stronger than anything known to man. Tail Bone always made sure its things were better than any human creation. 

Fire crackled in her stomach, burning her from the inside out. Tail Bone always made sure its punishments were better than any human creation. 

She should’ve learned by now to hold her tongue. She never will, and that is a punishment worse than anything it could think of. Perhaps if she were less rude her punishments would be mild. Or they could be worse.

It always appreciated her boldness despite its actions. 

She cursed whatever created her. Her insides were charred, but she let out another labored breath. Organs didn’t matter in its realm. Nothing mattered except Tail Bone. 

It had plucked a tooth from her mouth without word and disappeared not long ago. It didn’t matter if she was curious as to why. You never get to question Tail Bone. 

A woman groaned beside her. She wore torn rags that matched her torn skin. She was no doubt a victim of The Dogs. They were the only creatures who could rip skin from the body in such a cruel manner. 

To her other side was a weeping woman. She laid with her backside skinned on a bed of salt, a never ending stream of tears falling. From where, Regina did not know. Her face was gone, likely taken to Tail Bone’s main hall. 

A man tumbled from the air and landed in front of her. His ribs were disfigured, having been bent in the opposite direction. They stuck out from his back like spikes. He didn’t let out a wail like the others, rather he remained silent. 

His eye sockets were empty, blood dripping around them, pooling inside them. 

Tail Bone did not take long to appear. It appeared on the man’s back, using the bones as a perch. It brushed its tail across the open wounds. The man did not scream. 

“This one is almost as stubborn as you, Spine,” it said. It jumped off, impaling the man further with his own bone. “Not a single peep.” 

“Maybe you’ve lost your touch,” she said. It shot her a glare. Her arm tumbled off. 

Sometimes the forest sung. It was a strange occurrence. 

It certainly wasn’t wind, nor any instrument any one had ever heard. It sounded like a person singing, but as if a dog was doing it. The notes were the same, the sound wasn’t. 

Today was different, the song had a different singer. 

“ _ His bone exposed. His hide was lame, _ ” sung a pained woman. She wore expensive clothes, and her honey-colored hair was tied back in a braid. Her skin was caked in dried mud.

Heavy boots crunched every branch and fallen leaf in her path. She walked down a worn path to the lake. 

Emma looked on with a curious expression, hidden behind a tree on the high ground. 

“ _ I raised-, _ ” her voice hitched, “ _ a stone to end his pain. _ ” She bent down by the bank. She stared into the water for a long moment. She dipped a shaking hand into the freezing water. 

Emma frowned. She silently moved from the tree to slowly approach her. The woman wasn’t bothered by the water at all, rather she seemed to revel in it. Emma’s frown deepened. 

“ _ What caused the wound? How large the teeth?”  _ returned another voice. It let out a screeching cackle. A small dog-like creature crept across the opposite bank. “ _ I saw new eyes...”  _ it sat at the edge, running it’s brown paws through the murky water. 

“ _ Were watching me,”  _ echoed around her. Emma tensed. She wearily glanced around the trees. It sat on a low tree branch, swishing its tail across the forest floor. “Do you know how the song goes, Emma Swan?” it asked. It’s head was titled curiously. 

Her eyes narrowed. “Who are you? No- better question, what are you?” 

It grinned. It’s eyes flashed, too quickly to make out any color. “What are  _ you _ ?” it returned. 

“I’m Emma Swan. Human.” This answer pleased the dog. Her jaw tightened. 

“If only she allowed me to play. Alas, Spine has grown soft.” It shook its head in mock sadness. 

“Spine?” 

“You’ll figure it out, Miss Swan.” It licked its lips. “Soon,” it said, disappearing. 

She glanced around looking for it. The creature was long gone. The area calmly brushed all proof of it’s visit aside, leaving the forest like it had never appeared. 

Her frustration was palpable. 

She turned back to the river where the woman still sat. Both her arms were fully submerged as she leaned into the water. Hair fell from her braid, sizzling once it touched the water. Emma’s eyes widened. Her heart pounded with a dark uncertainty. 

The women dove into the lake without warning. Not a splash was made as she full entered the calm lake. 

That worried Emma further. She rushed down the path, desperate to help her. 

“Take my hand!” she urged standing at the edge of the bank. She glanced around for anything, but everything seemed to disappear in that moment. The forest was empty. 

She was jolted out of her search by something taking her hand. For a moment it felt like skin, it was soft and warm like skin, but it was anything but. A boney hand gripped hers. 

She took a large step back. The hand tightened its hold keeping her in place. 

She tried to pull her hand back. The hand popped off. She stumbled back, taking a rough fall into the dirt. 

She let out a small gasp, a small cry, as it gripped her skin tightly. Bones sunk in deep, cutting and bruising her wrist before releasing. It fell to the ground completely limp. 

The only thing to wash ashore was a spine with the note tied to it. 

‘ _ She said I’m not allowed to call you ‘Miss Swan’. I don’t care much to listen to her.’  _

The doorbell jingled noting a visitor to Gold’s shop. Emma walked in, studying the disarray. Open books were scattered around beside shattered relics and missing trinkets. The air was devoid of any life. 

“Gold?” she called out. A rustling from the back room answered. A moment later a harried looking Belle walked out. “Belle?” 

“Yes? What do you need, Sheriff?” she asked, not unkindly. Her eyes were off, not just in expression, but in color. They glinted a darker shade than usual. “A gift for your pirate? A story? Information on some new creature? I thought heard something about a new monster in Storybrooke…” 

Emma’s face tightened a sliver. She kept her face neutral, despite the growing suspicion. “Belle… you do remember we aren’t together anymore, right? He’s not my pirate.” 

This was news to Belle. She hid it well, but the slight widening of her eyes and twitch of her brow gave her away. “Yes, yes of course. So, what do you need? Information?” 

“Yes,” she said slowly. She paused for a moment, carefully thinking over her words. “It looks like a lanky brown dog with big ear-” 

“Tail Bone.” Awe twinkled in her eyes. Emma tensed further, taking a subtle step back. “The old tales always say it looks like some odd brown dog. Big ears and long muzzle. It only appears in the month of October.” 

The pure wonder filling her tone was enough to make Emma on edge. 

“I take it you know what i’m talking about?” 

Belle nodded. “Yes, it’s quite an ancient creature.” 

“What do you know of its… motives. What it does what it does. Things like that.” she questioned. 

“Nothing if I'm honest,” Belle admitted with a sheepish expression. “The information always contradicts itself. Even the same journals don’t keep the same ideas of it. Fascinating, right?” 

Emma grimaced. 

“Yeah... “ Belle stared at her intently, like she was waiting for something. Emma glanced away, searching the room to avoid her eyes. “Hey, where’s Gold?” 

Belle’s expression tightened. “Out,” Belle said, clenching her teeth. Emma took a step back. 

“I should be going.” 

“Perhaps.” Her voice was hard. Emma blinked at the sudden change. 

She cast a last glance towards Belle. Her body was stiff and hard, unnaturally so. Her eyes were darkening. Emma could feel the air growing equally dark. 

It was painfully lifeless. Suffocating. 

She scrambled out of the shop, desperate for breath. She stumbled to her knees, gasping for breath on the sidewalk outside. Phantom claws dragged along her side, mockingly delicate in their caress. 

She pulled herself up, not willing to spend another moment near the shop. She limped home on weak legs. 

Gold hadn’t been seen in months. She hadn’t noticed with Regina so present on her mind. She stared at the ceiling with the same dull dread that had followed her all month. She has to wonder what else she missed. 

She flinched at a sudden creak. She flicked on the lights, cautiously looking around the room. Her heart pounded as she noticed the note placed beside her. 

_ ‘I’ve done all I want. Soon.’  _

Soft chimes echoed through the hall in a haunting rhythm. The walls were blank, not a hint of color in sight.    
Emma stepped forward, grimacing at the puffy fabric rubbing against her skin. She didn’t dare look at the dress. She walked down the halls, towards the music, until she reached a dimly lit room. 

A stained glass mural adorned the back of the room showcasing a familiar queen. The lights flashed for a moment. She winced at the bright light suddenly filling the room. Glancing up, the mural had changed. Where a lively queen once stood was replaced with this boney woman. Her ribs had torn through her flesh. Not a piece of meat remained. 

Her eyes were dull, lacking any sense of life as they stared ahead. 

The lights flashed again. She winced at the bright light soon filling the room. Glancing up, the mural had changed. Where a rotting away queen once stood was nothing. Rather, the woman- no, skeleton stood across from her. She was wrapped in a black cloth cloak. 

The skeleton stepped forward, offering out a hand to Emma. Despite her reluctance, she took it. 

The music grew louder. The skeleton lead her into a dance. The two stepped in perfect harmony around the room as a haunting sound played. 

“Do you know how the song ends, Miss Swan?” the skeleton asked. She shook her head. “ _ The creature lunged, I turned and ran. To save a life I didn’t have. _ ”

It jerked forward, digging it’s boney fingers into her shoulders. “Your time is limited, but theirs is no longer.” 

Time froze them both in place. Panic gripped her very bones, and she struggled to move. 

Emma jolted awake. 

The murders stopped the next day, October 15th. No explanation was left. Only an uncomfortably sudden, and unexplained, ending. The town remained tense. 

Regina washed up on shore on October 16th. A deep pink scar ran all the way around her neck. It was jagged and rough, like her head had been torn off. 

They didn’t pay much mind to it at the time. They were more focused on the fact she was alive. 

She was rushed to the hospital. Confusion shrouded the town, a small hint of hope growing. Nothing would come of that hope. 

Fourteen remains disappeared without a trace. The families mourned again. 

Regina woke up a few days later. She didn’t speak much about her absence. Rather, she’d carried on as normal. 

They’d tried to question her, but she said nothing. It remained an elephant in the room. 

A year passed in a blur of love and life. She had a girlfriend now, as well as her son and family. It was nice. 

Nice doesn't last in Storybrooke. 

Regina felt time resuming. The moment midnight struck she was free. No more restraints in her throat, no more chains gripping at her wrists and ankles. 

She’d never felt more trapped. 

“Soon,” she whispered to the ceiling. “Soon,” she said, a tear making its way down her face. 

**Author's Note:**

> and everyone is left uncomfortable and upset as the end provides no proper closure! 
> 
> this is my first time writing something thats not super fluffy and i have to say it was interesting. hope it was easy enough to follow. i may go back and edit it some more later.


End file.
